An individual’s place in society is an important aspect of development, daily life, and emotional connection. People form communities due to shared objectives and beliefs, and while modern social groups are inherently more diverse than others, based on context, there are individuals that have trouble fitting in – they are othered. Otherness is uniqueness, which can be good or bad, an aspect of choice or something that an individual has no control over. However, otherness places one outside the community, an outlier of society which dramatically shifts the interaction and power dynamics in comparison to those who do belong. In the poem “Skinhead” by Patricia Smith, a troubled man reflects on his experiences and beliefs, disillusioned by his fascist radicalism and disavowed by society, who at the same time is trying to find acceptance of himself and belonging in a country that he loves.
The poem is written in the form of persona poetry, examining the life and thoughts of white supremacists that are commonly described as ‘skinheads’ in slang terms. These individuals typically represent the radical outliers of a white supremacist ideology. The protagonist sees himself as chosen for fulfilling a purpose, almost as a sacred duty of his ideology, “These are the duties of the righteous/ the ways of the anointed” (Smith stanza 1). This immediately established the skinhead as different; he does not conform to society and he seeks to differentiate via his shaved head, symbols, and tattoos on his skin. He realizes that it is appalling to others, but sees it as “my own beauty” in his efforts to embrace his otherness.
Humans tend to flock towards community and society, like an instinct of survival from past millennia and for the emotional acceptance and fulfillment that is received when one is recognized as an ‘insider’ or part of a community. Individuality is a key and precious resource, defined by differences set against the backdrop of sameness. Being an ‘insider’ often means sacrificing some elements of individuality to be part of a community in behavior, physical appearance, and goals in life. Any difference ultimately becomes a zero-sum game, either one is respected and revered as a trend-setter and innovator, or one is labeled as ‘weird’ and eventually pushed out as an ‘outsider.’ Being an outsider can be both, childhood trauma carried into adulthood that creates distance between the person or society, or a purposeful attempt to get away from society, because of the blame for one’s problems (Oliker) While the modern world has become more expansive in inclusion in terms of diversity, race, ideas – there are certain boundaries which are not tolerated by society.
The poem does not present much of the ‘insider’ view of society, other than it is inclusive and free, with racial minorities allowed to work and live their lives. Meanwhile, the violent actions of racism and racially targeted attacks are condemned. It becomes evident that the view of the protagonist strongly clashes with that of the society in which he lives. The skinhead in the poem is an outsider. After losing his fingers in an accident, he does not work, but blames other social groups for his troubles, regardless of the irony that the social group of inner-city black neighborhoods similarly struggle with jobs and can potentially be viewed as outsiders like him. The skinhead accepts that his ultimately racist view of the world seeking destruction for those that are not heterosexual white individuals is radical. It angers him, “and I come off looking like some kind of freak” (Smith stanza 8). At the same time, he is proud of his radicalism, his actions, and his origins “like I’m Hitler himself. I ain’t that lucky… I’m your baby, America, your boy” (Smith).
Society is positioned around authority, and those closer to the authority, the ‘insiders’ hold more power and influence than those that are not abiding by the status quo. Those on the ‘outside’ socially may seek to disrupt, to go against rules and authority as a manner of rebellion. The position of an insider carries with it inherent authority and an established system, but also the negative influence of being told what to do and the potential of group think, lacking the capability to differentiate or stand one’s ground. An outsider sees events and information without the filter of the system, operating outside formal societal structures. However, for this, they lack any true power or influence, only the possibility to disrupt (Gurri).
Based on this analysis, it is easy to sympathize with outsiders. Despite the violent abhorrent nature of the white supremacist in “Skinhead” – the audience potentially feels sorry for his state of life and mind. As an outsider, he attempts to disrupt the system by violently attacking others, which he believes is his purpose “born to make things right.” Society condemns him and he will suffer the consequences of attacking people regardless of his ideology. The law, the set of rules, and the status quo of a society that is inclusive exist and he cannot violate it without punishment. The skinhead believes in his perfection, but the reality is, that he is far from it. Furthermore, his struggle against a society that he sees as heroic is abhorrent. There have been instances in history, where outsiders truly thought of the noble ideals such as freedom only to be destroyed by those in power, but here the rebellion is driven by radical hate and a twisted mind, which will lead to his own downfall in the system.
Works Cited
Gurri, Martin. The Revolt of The Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium. Stripe Press, 2018.
Oliker, Ditta M. “On Being an Outsider.”Psychology Today, 2012.
Smith, Patricia. “Skinhead.”NDSU.